Secret Outlaws
by dashrelevant
Summary: There once were two outlaws, in a time long ago Who were swift with a sword and great with a bow. (Robin Hood x Hunchback of Notre Dame AU)
1. The Masked Bandits

_"There once were two outlaws, in a time long ago Who were swift with a sword and great with a bow._

 _With the flight of an arrow or clash of broad swords,_

 _These outlaws would bring down their cruel feudal lords._

 _As a hero to others, it wasn't too long,_

 _Before minstrels and poets put their deeds into song._

 _It might be a legend. Who they were, still unsure,_

 _But they robbed from the rich and they gave to the poor."_

* * *

Chapter 1: The Masked Bandits

It was late in the afternoon when a certain carriage had stopped in the middle of the forest due to the untimely damage of one of their wheels. In the mean time, the passengers along with the coach have gathered by the river to refresh themselves after spending hours on the road. It was another two hours to Normandy and it seemed impossible to walk.

"This is all your fault, Perette! If it wasn't for your humongous _deriérre_ , we wouldn't be stuck in Paris for who knows how long!" A rather large girl had spoken, visibly upset by the look on her face and the sound of her shrill whining.

"My fault! Ypolita, you have an even bigger deriérre! You broke the wheel and it was on your side, too!" The girl named Perette squeals like a pig.

The coachman was stuck in between, rather fed up from their bickering. But who was he to step in and yell at them? He was simply being paid to shut up and drive.

In actuality, it was no one's fault. The wheel had come across a sort of rock it simply couldn't withstand.

Well, it felt slightly different. Almost as if the wheel broke on purpose. Brushing that aside, he continued to sit by the two fat women, sighing quietly as they waited for help to arrive.

"Manfroy!" Ypolita claps her hands twice. "Fetch my pillow! This rock is far too hard for me to sit on!"

The coachman bows and obediently walks back to the carriage.

To his utter shock, the carriage was found completely empty. Even the remaining wheels have been stolen.

"Mistresses!" Manfroy runs back, struggling with his short legs, terror in his face.

From a tree a little further from the carriage sat all the items. Extra large dresses, shoes, handfuls of jewellery, packs of breads and grains, and pouches full of golden coins.

"Not our best, but this is enough for three whole families." A hooded lady whispered to her companion. She was shrouded in a scarlet red cloak, covered by a mask that only showed her smile.

"We should head back soon. Sunset is fast approaching. We move better in the dark, anyways." Her hooded partner whispered back, returning her mischievous smile. Both mysterious figures begin their move, running off as the sky began to grow dim. From afar, they could hear the horrified screams of the two women, whose bickering only intensified.

* * *

It was nighttime. The sky, being a dark shade of blue with the moon high and brighter than ever.

It was little Manon's sixth birthday. Her mother was a simple woman who worked hard in the market selling vegetables. Her father had died when Manon was just an infant.

Tonight was going to be a special one for the two.

Someone was rapping quietly on their door. When Manon's mother Nadia opens it, two hooded figures come inside with a large sack.

"Happy Birthday, Manon." The first figure said.

"Ladybug! Chat Noir!" She comes up to them, wrapping them around with her little arms.

"We came bearing gifts." The second figure said. The pull their hoods down. The first figure is a girl, seemingly young with raven hair and bright blue eyes while her companion was an equally young boy with blonde hair and striking green eyes.

The girl opens up the sack, revealing its contents. Inside, she pulls out two loaves of bread.

"Manon, this is for you to eat. To grow healthy and smart and especially strong." The girl said. Then, she turns to the Nadia, handing the remaining sack. "Ma'am, inside is a dress. It's far too big but you can make out dresses and washcloths with it. There are also two pouches of gold good for at least a year or two."

"Thank you, Ladybug, Chat Noir! Won't you stay? We have enough fruit and milk for the both of you." Nadia says.

"Thank you, madame but Ladybug and I still have unfinished work. Please enjoy and happy birthday, Manon." Chat Noir says. Quickly, they exit, continuing from door to door as they bear gifts and treasures to the poor until the candles began burning low.

"I heard from a little bird that the king will be doing a tour around the kingdom on Thursday." Chat Noir says, leaning in on Ladybug.

Ladybug, startled at the news, pushes him back. "And you didn't tell me sooner?"

"Kinda wanted to see the look on your face." Chat Noir says mischievously. Then, he pins her against a wall. "And by the looks of it, I seem to know what's going on in that head of yours."

Ladybug pushes his face back with her hand. "Don't push it." She says. "Let's meet that day. Dawn. I think I've got a plan."

* * *

"Marinette!" Her mother calls. "Fetch some water by the well!"

She was sitting by the window, sewing a piece of cloth and humming quietly to herself. She seemed almost lost in the moment, confined in her peaceful state of mind. By her side, her cat lay sprawled out, sound asleep.

"Marinette!" Her mother calls again.

"Coming!" She jolts up with a start, running for the steps.

Tomorrow, the king was coming to tour around the city. It was a rather exciting day indeed.

Imagine all the riches he'd be bringing with him.

His garments, his gold.

His crown.

Marinette shakes her head, but considered the idea. She takes her bucket and sets off to fetch water.

Another thing that immediately brightened her day was a certain young boy by the name Adrien. His golden hair and beautiful eyes had always taken her breath away. Today, he was practicing his sword fighting with his best friend, Nino. Fortunately for her, they enjoyed spending time in the same field Marinette would go to to fetch water or milk the cows. It was an open field, large enough for all sorts of activity.

One of them being secretly watching Adrien.

Oh, how she loved the way he smiled warmly as if he were like the sun. He always appeared perfect. His face, angelic, his eyes, a reflection of his soul and _oh_ , his laughter, absolute music to Marinette's ears.

"Marinette! Good day to you!" Adrien stops to notice her walking by with a bucket in hand. He offers a nod of respect.

She bows back, blushing a little. "Good day to you two." She says, her blush increasing.

"Adrien, I'm going ahead. I think I'm needed at the shop!" Nino says, running off immediately.

Adrien turns around to face Marinette. He walks to her, sheathing his sword. "Did you hear news of the king? He's coming here tomorrow. Guess he finally wants to check up on this part of the kingdom."

"Y-Yes." Marinette says. "I'm rather excited! I've never.. seen him in real life."

Not to mention, the stunt she'd be pulling tomorrow.

"I hope once he gets here, he sees all this." Adrien sighs. "It isn't right that he gets to live apart from the kingdom. That he deserves to live better than all the rest who are starving and sickly."

"That's true." She says. Another thing she admired about Adrien is his devotion to the poor. He was raised in the castle, an apprentice of the knights. Because of his good looks, he won the favour of the princess and lives lavishly. But he had always told Marinette about how he did not enjoy the injustices served by the king.

He was definitely ahead of his time.

"Anyway, I need to get going." Adrien says, backing away. "My lessons will be starting soon. I'll see you around." He gives a single bow and walks back home.

Actually, he had a big day ahead of him. The king is on his way so that means Chat Noir is out to play.

* * *

Morning has broken and the royal trumpets have begun to sound. The royal procession was now starting, the head of the line being the royal guards followed by the guards carrying a chest full of the king's treasures. The king believed it to be a rather smart idea to parade them around, representing his symbol of status over his people. Next came in the royal carriage of the Princess. She, with all her heart did not want to go with her father to the procession but willingly obliged all of a sudden right after Adrien had suggested she do so. Following her carriage came in the king's grand one. The horses practically heaved it along as it carried a rather heavy man who brought far too many precious metals along with him. A tail of guards followed behind, being the tail of the procession line.

Before reaching the town, the procession would have to first go through the forest. This, of course, is breeding ground for trouble. Especially when it concerns the two young bandits.

"I can already taste the gold." Chat Noir says. Today, they wore different disguises. Ladybug donned a patched up skirt that had bells on the hem, a veil to hide her hair and of course the same mysterious mask. Chat Noir wore a dark green cloak and had on many woven necklaces.

They plan to have a little fun today.

"He's coming this way!" Ladybug tugs him down. "Just remember your lines."

"I'm always prepared, my lady." He says with a smirk.

As the procession makes a turn, the two step in front of the road, hands in the air. "Fortune telling!" Ladybug calls out, attempting a heavy foreign accent. "We can tell your fortune for free!"

"Stand aside!" One of the guards bark at them aggressively. "You're in the way of His Royal Majesty."

"If it's not too much trouble, and if the king would like to, we may read his zodiac! We practice special readings that originate from China, these are fortunes for kings!" Chat Noir chimes in.

"What's the hold up?!" It was the princess who was yelling. Her head was poking out from the carriage, her brows furrowed and her expression irritated.

"Fortune telling!" Chat Noir called out.

"Fortune telling?" It was the king! The steps out of his carriage and is now walking towards them.

"Your Majesty. We humbly thank you for gracing us with your presence. Allow us to do you this humble deed. To read your fortune and to foretell of your long and prosperous life."

"Come with me to my carriage." He says.

"Your Majesty! They could be bandits!" One guard warns.

"Nonsense! These are my people!" He says with pride in his expression, not bothering to listen to his own guard.

Inside the carriage is a lavish cushioning of the finest velvet seating. Below them, the floors are well carpeted with only the finest materials that are most likely imported from the south. And of course, piles and piles of gold-filled pouches.

"Please sit, sire!" Ladybug instructs, drawing the curtains so that her workspace is dark enough. Discretely, she prepares her pocket knife.

"Now.. close your eyes and give me your hands." She says in a hypnotising, soothing tone. As he closes his eyes, her knife springs into action.

Practically offering the huge rings on his fingers, Ladybug plucks out the gemstones one by one. With a swift turn of her left heel, a heavy load of gold is now under her skirt.

"Your... fortune!" Ladybug says, starling him a little, he opens his eyes.

"What?" He says expectantly.

"Eyes close!" She covers them with her hand. "Yes... hmmm... very interesting."

"What do you see?"

"I see a great crowd!" She says. "They're screaming something! Tears of joy!"

"Yeees?"

"They call for you! Your name!" She says. Now, she has two bags of gold under her skirt. She lets his hands go.

"Do not open yet." She says, still keeping up the accent. She gets up briefly, tossing pouches of gold to Chat Noir who hides it inside his cloak.

She goes behind the king, being careful not to have him notice as she lifts the heavy fur coat off his back and wearing it.

She returns to hold his hands again.

"I see a great misfortune ahead of you." She says grimly. "Goodness."

"Is it death? An early death?" He asks worriedly. "Will I have grandchildren?"

"Yes, yes, yes." Ladybug says, slapping the king's palms unnecessarily. "But! It's something even worse!"

She takes her hand off his again, getting up, she walks out of the carriage.

"Chat, let's go!" Ladybug calls out.

The king opens his eyes, his surroundings practically empty! His bags of gold are now gone and his rings hold no gems.

And he was now half naked.

"Guards!" The king roars in anger. "Check the chest!"

The guards gather around the chest they have been carrying the entire time.

The bottom had been cut through, all of its contents now gone.

"After those bandits!" The king yells. His head was practically about to explode from all the rage.

Speaking of head, his crown was gone as well.

The guards spread out quickly, searching the forest for the bandits from every corner, but it seems that those two have long gone; too quick for these men seeing that they've successfully escaped with the king's riches.

"I'll get them if it's the last thing I do!" The king announces. "This procession is put to a stop. Call the royal announcer. Tomorrow, I have a word for the people. Especially anyone who stands in my way of rule!"

"Yes, Your Majesty."


	2. The Knight and The Baker's Daughter

" _A boy in a mask and a girl that donned red,_

 _Worked fearless for justice, a bounty on their heads._

 _Like thunder and lightning, they worked as a pair,_

 _And saved all the poor from danger and despair._

 _T'was the King who had fallen for their mischievous schemes,_

 _His ego most broken, and ripped at the seams._

 _But who you may ask, had the nerve to decrown_

 _Who, but a buck and a milker of cows!"_

* * *

Chapter 2: The Knight and the Baker's Daughter

Marinette's mother had requested that she go into town to deliver bread to the butcher's shop. They were expecting visitors from Bordeaux and had ordered a fairly large supply of rye and sourdough with a few bottles of milk since they sold their supplies a bit cheaper than most.

The maiden had taken the route which crossed the town square. At this time of day, there would usually be a bustle of street performers, vendors and rambunctious children either lost or lost since birth. But to Marinette's surprise, it was the royal herald of arms. The townspeople were gathering, buzzing assumptions on what this could mean. The king has only ever sent the royal herald once and it was to announce the birth of Princess Chloé. The Queen died from labor and the King never remarried. It couldn't be another royal birth.

"Here ye, Here ye! I have an important message from His Royal Majesty the King Andrei of France!" The herald speaks, his voice echoing through the now silent corners of the city. The others began looking at one another, mostly in confusion. The weight of each word sent a chill down their spines.

"Starting today, there will be an increase on taxes due to an unfortunate turn of events which took place on the day of the King's postponed procession around Paris!" The herald puts down the scroll, as if signalling the end of his announcement.

But he is handed another scroll.

"Yesterday, the King came across a pair of fearsome and deadly bandits!" He yells out. The crowds gasp in a mixture of fear and confusion. Could this be signs of an invasion?

But to those who knew, they remained silent. "Clearly, they wanted to kill the king! Thanking the heavens for his bravery-"

Marinette rolls her eyes. _Naivety would be a better word._

"The King was able to scare them away! Unfortunately, they stole a great amount!" The royal herald takes out papers, sticking one of them to a post.

"Those criminals are to be hunted down! Whoever will be successful in finding them and presenting them to the king will be greatly rewarded!"

The buzzing only increased in volume. Many of the townsfolk held fear in their eyes. It was difficult to read but somewhere in that crowd, someone worried for their masked guardians.

Some of them wished to protest of a misunderstanding. Something King Andrei wouldn't understand or bear with; him being the root of the problem in the first place.

The treasures of the King have been divided equally among many unfortunate households. His coat and crown were quickly dismantled to hide most of the evidence. The coat had been turned into winter garments while the crown had been melted and spooled into thread, resold to the textile merchants. The jewels, gemstones and a division of coins have been sent to remote areas for relatives while a remainder of the luxuries were shared among the poor.

Marinette's breath got stuck in her throat. She wasn't exactly sure about how to react to this.

She was now a wanted criminal with a bounty on her head. And she was barely fourteen years old! It made her laugh almost, to think about what her mother would say.

She brushes the thought aside. She wasn't exactly bent on the idea of getting caught and being unmasked, let alone seeing her mother's face before landing a spot under the guillotine.

But she continues on, walking with the bread and milk in her basket, trying to mask the fear and worry she felt for her masked partner, Chat Noir.

On her way, she wondered of him and of what he could be doing now.

* * *

"To total it all without including the fortune from the people, you have lost a 164th of your inherited fortune." The royal tax collector shook in his place, fumbling documents around with trembling hands.

The King hated him. He was horrible at his job and he himself knew that for a fact. Last week, he had lost half of September's document of collected taxes and he was too afraid to tell the King.

But today, he was to be replaced. Somewhere in his thoughts swam the idea of being executed as a final statement from him.

It was possible.

"Whatever, you're dismissed." The King does not spare a single glance at him, shooing him of with a wave of his hand. "No need for pests like you."

"Th-Thank you, Your Majesty." The tax collector is escorted out, a spear to his back as he is led out into who knows where. The King didn't care, he just wanted him gone.

"Call Gabriel to the room." The King orders. Shortly, Gabriel enters the room. His presence haunts the King a little, but he brushes it off, retaining his proud posture.

Gabriel gives a bow. "Your Majesty." He acknowledges.

"Gabriel." The King says. "I'm sure you know your numbers."

"I'm a capable person." He says. Gabriel was a close subject to the King. As a boy, he has been acknowledged as a promising scholar. Intelligent, educated and a perfect gentleman. Ever since they were young, he stood by the King. Discussing politics and anything that the King found an interest in. It was at around the age of sixteen when Gabriel decided that he serve the Strasbourg Cathedral, later transferring to Paris to become a Judge and Archdeacon of the capital church.

Everyone saw him as a holy man, putting his faith first before anything else. He was known as one of the most level headed people in the kingdom. They trusted him. But if anything else, they feared him.

"Okay then," The King says. "I trust your intellect and intuition more than anyone else's. I put you in charge of the kingdom's taxes."

"I beg your pardon, sire?"

"You own many lands. What harm could this measly responsibility do to you?" The King furrows his eyebrows. "Most importantly, the people fear you. With your image, you could stop those bandits from ever attacking the feudal lords, stop them from stealing from them, and your king."

"Understood, sir." Gabriel bows down. "Those peasants will realize their mistake of interfering with the business of nobility."

Gabriel exits, entering the castle's courtyard. There, he sees the knights drinking their ale as the young squires polished the armour and changed the horseshoes. Among the squires was Adrien, spit-shining a breastplate and making circular motions with his washcloth, seemingly infused in concentration.

Of all the young boys in the palace, Adrien was everyone's favourite. He was the princess's favourite; he was always requested to sit or stand by her as if he were her little dog. It was no secret that the princess was in love with the young boy.

He was also Gabriel's favourite. He was a promising student. Smart, open-minded, talented.

He vividly reminded Gabriel of himself when he was a boy.

Everyone knew Adrien was an orphan just like all the other squire boys. He had no parents and was raised by the servants of the palace. But regardless, he was practically treated like nobility out of favouritism.

"Reverend Sir." A boy acknowledges his presence. Soon, the others began to walk over, greeting Gabriel with respect. Among those who approached him stood Adrien, bowing down to him.

"Reverend Gabriel." Adrien said receiving a touch to the head, blessing the boy with his holy presence. It warmed Gabriel's heart to see the boy. When Adrien was much younger, the reverend would present him with little gifts such as toys or sweets from outside the palace or from his travels. Now that the boy was growing up, they would exchange information; engaging in intellectual conversation and passionately discussing the arts and sciences.

Almost as if Adrien were his own son.

"Reverend, I would like a moment of your time to have a word." Adrien says. Gabriel allows it, leading him to the castle library.

Usually, this is where most lessons are held with the reverend. It was a secluded area for studies and research. Today, it is empty.

"You wanted to tell me something?" Gabriel asks him.

"I heard about today." Adrien says. "About the king appointing you head of the tax collection. And, well, we've talked about the King and his inequity towards the poor and I just hope you remembered-"

"It is in every bit of me to do what God would want me to do best." Gabriel cuts him off. "You're an intelligent boy. Your eyes are open in places where other people would have them tightly shut. You aren't like those people. They only think of themselves. You and I are in many ways alike."

Gabriel knew Adrien would warn him about this. Wealth puts people in the wrong mindset. Adrien having the heart he has would not bear to tolerate such injustice.

Gabriel puts a hand on Adrien's head. "You still have a long way to go before fully understanding all of this. You're still quite young."

* * *

Ladybug was well aware of that bounty on her head. But even so, she visited the slums.

Not much of the bourgeoisie or the nobility would ever think of venturing down here. It was usually a safe place for them. But now with being wanted criminals, Ladybug began to doubt.

It was easy to hide out of costume. She'd blend in excellently with everyone. But revealing her identity was out of the question.

After all, magicians never reveal their secrets.

She enters the area. The grounds were damp with mud and could through her boots. As she passed through, the people moaned their cries of joy for he presence.

"Ladybug!" A sickly man exclaims. "Our hero!"

Children gather around her, holding her tight in a big embrace, some hugging her arm or tugging her cloak.

"Hello, everyone." Ladybug sighs in relief, seeing that there seems to be no one hurt or in need of help.

"We heard of the terrible news. About the reward for you and Chat Noir!" One woman says fearfully, holding her child close. "That despicable King spoke lies about you two!"

"Lies?" It was Chat Noir. "Pretty unconvincing ones if you ask me. He's a bit of a wuss."

"Chat Noir!" The children laughed, pulling him over to join the group.

"Didn't see you come in." Ladybug says.

"Nope. Just got here." Chat replies. "I came as soon as I heard of the bounty. I went to check in on everyone. Who knows what the King'll do if he tries patrolling in this part of the kingdom. It'd be our fault."

"We'll never let him get you guys, we swear!" One little girl says, her bright blue eyes were wide and full of determination.

Chat Noir pats her in the head. "As guardians, our job is to stand up for everyone. To put everyone out of harm's way."

"Chat Noir is right. If the King ever plans on putting anyone in danger in our expense, we'll be there to do our best and get everyone someplace safe." Ladybug says. "No one deserves to suffer for us, because we fight for you!"

"Long live the masked guardians!" The crowds began to tearfully exclaim. Men and women, young and old cry out to them, reaching out their blessings of hope and prosperity for the heroes who pledge to save each and every one of the poor.

One day, the downtrodden will be avenged.

* * *

Adrien had returned late that night. It was past midnight. The candles burned low, the horses were sound asleep and the courtyard was as silent as a graveyard. All that could be heard were the sound of crickets and the steady motion of the moat water rippling against the night wind.

He tiptoed, being careful not to wake any of the servants or the nursemaids who had rules for young squire boys wandering late outside. But this was a routine for him who was out on most nights, spending time with Ladybug.

He never understood why, but she confused him. She pulled him the way rocks get pulled by gravity or how the moon gets pulled the sea.

He has read many books. Most on the works of Macrobius, Cassiodorus, Galileo and Descartes. Adrien believed to have looked for the right books to help solve his burning question; them containing his symptoms. At first, he went back and forth between hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and mitral valve prolapse before self-diagnosing himself with costochondritis. But that was until the nurses had told him he was being delusional and unreasonable, seeing that he was perfectly fine, which he was.

But every time he would reunite with the same girl, his insides would do summersaults and his heart would ignite in a strange flame that cried out in longing.

As if searching for something.

Perhaps it was because he was young. He had always been told he was too young for things he went out looking for. Answers, feelings, explanations.

But sometimes, it's better to live without knowing too much.

"Adrikins!" The sudden shrill tone of the princess makes him jump. "Do come up here! I'm in need of a companion!"

Her voice had ultimately broke the peaceful ambiance of his thoughts. Adrien began looking around, checking if anyone had woken up.

Quickly he climbs the stone walls to the princess's balcony, swinging his legs over to attend to whatever the princess needed. "Your Highness," He greets her with a low bow. The princess pulls him back up with a forceful tug, giggling at his actions.

"Silly, you don't have to do that!" The princess says, pulling him by the collar. "After all, we're getting married one day!"

"We-we are?!" Adrien practically shrieks, but taking his words back carefully, he clears his throat. "I.. I-I mean, of course. Your Highness."

"We'll have flowers, and lots and lots of candles! My wedding dress will be spun from gold and you'll never see a prettier bride even if you sailed to the ends of the Earth!"

"Well, Your Highness, the Earth is actually round. You won't ever reach the end." Adrien says, changing the subject into something he'd rather talk about. "A research done by the Greeks have tested this theory by comparing the shadows of two sticks observed at different locations-"

"Yeah, okay, that's cute." Princess Chloé cuts him off, visibly uninterested. Adrien tries not to take offense to this but instead shuts up. "And don't forget our beautiful future children! I already have names!"

"Right.. names.." He holds back a sigh.

"Don't you see it, Adrien?" Chloé giggles, far too deep into her dreamscape. "We'll be rich and madly in love!"

Love.

"Can you.. say that again, Your Highness?" Adrien says. His eyes, almost glimmering.

"We'll be rich and madly in love?" She says.

"Love." Adrien repeats, holding a fist against his chest.

The Princess notices a sudden glow in him. Not realizing that she had just diagnosed him with his newfound sickness.

Quickly, Adrien gets back on his feet, readying himself to jump back down the balcony. "Princess, it's getting late. Sister Yenta will scold me if she sees me here."

In a flash, he was gone; running back with a wide grin and some sort of hope lighting a fire inside him.

"You're welcome!" The Princess yells. She was unsure, but whatever she said may have helped him realize his feelings for her.

* * *

 **Okay, so I _may_ have given Gabriel a religious role in this story and I might as well have to turn the ratings up a notch because of some possible future scenes which might end up being a tad bit too realistic.**

 **It's strange to see our beloved Hawkmoth this way but I kinda figured that it would fit well with the political conflict with the taxes and injustices and all that jazz.**

 **Or am I taking this cartoon fanfic a little to seriously? Hmm, it's a thought.**


	3. The Judge

_The boy would read books, those of science and art,_

 _While the girl was a huntress, on search for his heart._

 _Two souls in a field, both young and still blind,_

 _But masked and on missions, those souls are combined._

 _She who loves him, shining brightly like the sun,_

 _While he who loves her, fearless, mischievous, and fun._

 _Will evil break their bonds and will it steal their rights_

 _Or will they vanquish darkness and will they win the fight?_

* * *

Chapter 3: The Judge

Adrien was out again the following night but this time as himself. No disguise, but a bag of filtered water and a light stack of books.

The idea of romance among his age group was something left preferably undiscussed. Usually, the boys studied mathematics and science. Measurement over mindset. All of the books in the library did not contain anything on romantic love. Most of them were variations of the Bible.

But he had recalled a book he had come across while on a journey to Bavaria with his knight. Despite it being a piece of literature that defiled the catholic teachings, he purchased the book in secret. After all, learning was about looking at life from both sides. Up and down, and all around. This was a philosophy the church disagreed on, saying that it would stray those from the right path.

Adrien opens the book to its marked page.

He's close to the end, the pages over his thumb were thin but his heart felt much heavier.

The book begins with the writer's journey to hell. Inside hell, he sees the nine circles that determine one's place after the wrong actions you have done in the living world, each circle getting colder and worse as they journeyed downward. The writer and his guide come out of hell and cross purgatory, a place associated with the seven deadly sins. They climb upwards and finally, they reach the Earthly Pardise.

The book then describes the writer's first encounter with heaven. An ethereal glow he sees and feels like a fleeting dream, a warmth that he describes as if the writer had been captivated just through sight and strong connection through spirit.

Adrien connects this to feelings of actual love. The words were similar to the way he felt when he saw her. Ladybug.

Like seeing heaven, almost.

He feels a connection to the writer. A telepathic understanding that he held especially close to him.

Adrien has been stuck at a certain part for a while. It was his favourite quote off the entire poem. For the six hundredth time, he reads it again. But for the first time, he reads it out loud.

" _Little by little as my vision grew,_

 _it penetrated faintly through the aura_

 _of the high lamp which in Itself is true._

 _What then I saw is more than tongue can say._

 _Our human speech is dark before the vision._

 _The ravished memory swoons and falls away._

 _As one who sees in dreams and wakes to find_

 _the emotional impression of his vision_

 _still powerful while its parts fade from his mind -_

 _just such am I, having lost nearly all_

 _the vision itself, while in my heart I feel_

 _the sweetness of it yet distill and fall._ "

Adrien sighs, still captured by the heavenly essence of the poem. He recalls earlier today when he was reading another part in the same book about love. A reason why he does not come back to it as often is mainly because much of it did not make perfect sense to him.

 _'The day that man allows true love to appear, those things which are well made will fall into confusion and will overturn everything we believe to be right and true.'_ The book had stated.

He took the quote literally. _Perhaps that was why Chloé thought the way she did._ He thought to himself earlier that day. Love had the power to make you irrational and confused. But Adrien felt fine. He still knew that the solar system had seven planets. He still remembers his fractional exponents, a fair amount of trigonometry, important Bible verses, feudalist laws, the Fibonacci sequence-

He recalled them briefly, while also inspecting for any signs of dementia, hysteria, or insanity. Usually, his books on documented illnesses and diseases would tell him to regain a balance of body fluids by resting, drinking water, exercise, and he's done all that.

Maybe it was a wrong diagnosis?

"Adrien?" Marinette was surprised to see his familiar figure resting under the old oak tree. Before him crackled a campfire and a stack of books to his left.

"Hello." Adrien sighs. Marinette notices his tenseness and hesitantly begins to inch closer.

"You're reading under such poor light." Marinette says gently. "It would be nicer to wait for morning."

"I don't really have all the time tomorrow." He looks up at her over the flames. "We will be accompanying Reverend Gabriel tomorrow. He's going around Paris in the name of the King."

"Oh, the archdeacon." Marinette's eyes light up. "He's a good man. Hopefully, he could do something to help the poor."

" _Hopefully_ ," He repeats. "He's my teacher and all, but I'm a little scared. If he's being sent by the King, then who knows what'll happen?"

Marinette sees the worry in his face. She expected that of him, always waltzing around with that giant heart of his.

If only she could have a piece of it too.

Marinette walks over, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry too much about it. I'm sure he just wants to do the right thing."

Adrien looks up at her, realizing something. "It's really late out. Practically midnight. What brings _you_ here, Marinette?"

Marinette jumps at the question. Honestly, she saw Adrien and wanted to follow him out on the field. To check if there were any girls with him too.

 _But she wasn't going to just casually say that out loud._

"Couldn't sleep!" She lets out a nervous laugh. "You know me, I'm a wanderer!"

"You should head back. I don't think it's safe to be out here alone at night. I can walk you back." Adrien offers.

Good thing it was dark enough for him to not notice that Marinette was turning tomato-red.

"If you can't sleep, read one of my books. I'll lend you one."

Marinette wasn't big on reading, but books would most definitely send her snoozing.

"That's really kind of you." She says, accepting the book. Over the fire, she sees the words _Chapters on Trigonometry_ and tries hard not to grimace.

"This one's my favourite!" He says, eyes full of admiration. "When you're done, you can tell me about it!"

"S-Sure.." She says, letting out another nervous laugh.

Girls were never allowed to educate themselves. They were only good for staying at home, cooking meals and teaching the children. Not only did this feel wrong to Marinette, but it worried her.

Impressing Adrien would mean understanding the stupid book.

With those thoughts moved aside, he takes her home. After a few moments alone, Adrien goes back to the castle for rest.

* * *

Adrien was nervous, but he trusted Gabriel. He was his teacher. A man of wisdom who only did what was said to be right.

Today, he accompanies his knight along with the other men to the slums where they begin their trek.

None of the people greeted Adrien, since they only knew Chat Noir. Adrien was a stranger to them. As they made their way, the people put their activities on hold and approached the visiting man and his army.

"Reverend Gabriel." The woman holding a child acknowledges, bowing down in respect. "We were not informed of your arrival. Pardon us for not preparing."

"I intended to arrive unannounced. You see.." He moves around the woman, now at her backside. "I am here because of a rising suspicion of theft. His Majesty the King is very disappointed with this city. I am only here to try and fix these arising problems."

"What are you saying, Reverend? That we steal from the King?!" A man asks, his blind left eye practically stares from deep inside their souls. "The King looks down on us! We have nothing and no one but each other!"

Gabriel was not listening. They were hiding something and he was not to be taken as a fool.

"Search their houses. Tear them down if you must." He says to the soldiers.

Quickly, they do as he says, pushing past the people and entering their homes.

"Stop!" A sick man pleads, holding onto Gabriel's leg.

Gabriel kicks him away, walking off to finish his job.

Adrien was utterly shocked. He didn't know what to do, if he should interfere or not. Without the disguise, his actions were limited and his confidence was absent. One small mistake and he could be banished from the castle, fired from his job with no where to go. The houses were all small. It did not take too long for the soldiers to reappear with piles of gold in their hands, some even gathering them inside sacks.

The amount of treasures exceeded the man's expectations. There was at least three times more gold than he had imagined.

"How must we treat our illnesses? Take care of ourselves?"

"This is for the children! To help them grow up strong and healthy!" A mother began to cry. She stood by her children. At least five children were huddled around her, stifling their little voices.

But Gabriel did not bother batting another eyelash at her. Or to anyone in the slums who now held looks of anger and sadness towards their Reverend.

"Those have all come from charitable people who want to help us!"

"I am well aware of that." He says. This silences most of the area. A baby's cries continued on, still shaken from the horrid chaos caused by the soldiers. "But if your so called _charitable help_ continues to cause this much trouble, not only will the King of France damn you. But so will He." He points to the sky, naming God as his witness.

"Merely, I make peace. I want what is best for the people." He says, turning away. "I want to bring back justice."

The people yell at him. _This was not justice!_ They thought he knew better.

"Reverend, we will die with no support! You have reduced us to sewer rats and that is not what God intends for us-!"

"Damn those who oppose my word!" He roars, silencing the crowd. The soldiers point their swords and spears at the poor, causing them to flinch and recoil back. Gabriel looks back on his soldiers. "Have you searched everywhere?"

"Yes, sir." One barks out obediently.

The so called holy man turns to look at a soldier who stood at the back end. He was holding a lit torch.

"Maybe we should cleanse this place of its evils." He says. He beckons for the torch as it gets passed on by the soldiers.

Adrien's eyes light up with fear and intensity. A million thoughts rush up to him all at once. He found it difficult to restrain himself from doing anything. One move would cost him his knight's reputation.

Or even Adrien's head on a platter for the King.

But no. He was _not_ going to let Gabriel burn their homes down.

He runs up to the soldiers, snatching the lit torch away before it reaches Gabriel.

"Squire! Don't interfere!" His knight, Enoch scolds him. The other knights attempt to pry the boy off of the torch, but Adrien grips it tightly.

Adrien looks at Gabriel, eyes full of desperation.

"Reverend, have mercy on them!" He yells. Tears threatened to fall, but he had to stay strong. The whole area stood still, you could hear a pin drop. "These people are good! They have children and families that need them! Don't take that away, please!"

Gabriel pauses. He had never imagined any of his students go against him that way. But of course, Gabriel knew Adrien was different.

The boy's reactions made him feel things. It was surprise and guilt. Doing this was going to hurt Adrien.

But Gabriel knew his position. He can't allow any hindrances.

Gabriel glares at Enoch, Adrien's knight. His stare pierces daggers through him. "Keep your squire contained, officer. Let me finish my job!"

"Yes, sir!" He forces Adrien back behind him, visibly angry at the young boy's rebellious behaviour.

Enoch hands the torch to the Reverend, still crackling against the wood. Gabriel holds on to it tightly.

"If none of you speak up about your so called _guardians_ , I will light your homes in flames one by one!" He roars at them.

They only seem to flinch back in fear, having no intentions against Ladybug and Chat Noir.

"They won't say anything because we guardians speak for ourselves!" Gabriel hears a voice from above.

On one of the roofs, stands Ladybug. Her scarlet cape swaying in the wind as she stands with bravery and fearlessness.

"Are you what they call the masked Ladybug?" Gabriel's voice rumbles. "Your partner seems to be absent."

"Yes." She skids down a slope, jumping effortlessly across and down poles, neatly landing before the Reverend. "You sir, are harming my people."

" _Your_ people?" Gabriel sneers. "These street rats belong to the King of France. Their population is a measly portion that makes upnhis enormous kingdom."

"They're your people too! They are part of our community! Because of people like you, they have no jobs! No way to make any money!" She says. "They rely on each other and those who are willing to help them."

Ladybug points an accusing finger at the Reverend. "You, of all people, should be helping them the most!"

"Guards!" Gabriel roars. The soldiers spring into action, pushing those in the way. But the poor knew their beloved Ladybug would never betray them. They had eternal hope for their long awaited salvation.

The people begin fighting back against the guards, blocking them away from the now escaping girl. They yell out protests, pushing them back in spite of being overpowered by their strength. But the strength of their numbers was enough to help the girl get away.

"Continue hurting these people, and see what it will do to you and your king!" She yells a threat, disappearing once more.

Gabriel was indeed appalled. He had never seen anyone openly display so much hate for the king. Or himself for that matter.

It was almost..

 _Irresistible_.

Gabriel, with the lit torch still in his hand, throws it at a mud puddle.

"Retreat." He growls under his breath. _Then, turning to the people, he glares._ "You are lucky to have been spared. But in the end-"

He gestures at the gold still safe in his clutches. With an evil grin he looks at them.

"I still win this round."

* * *

"This is at least two times more of what I had originally lost! Where did you get all this gold?" The King asks in astonishment, letting the coins fall through his fingers like cleansing his hands in a sea of gold.

"Why, this is a collection of the gold found at various areas, namely the slums." Gabriel says monotonously. "Turns out they're stronger than they appear to be. They have a guardian named Ladybug who leads their army."

"Was there anyone with her?" The King asks.

"No, but that girl is similar to the one on the wanted posters. The same one that raided your carriage on the day of the parade. Unfortunately, her partner was not with her and she got away."

"Ah, that's fine. All the many more reasons to ambush the slums and wreck houses down." The King lets out a booming laugh. Gabriel remains silent.

"Of course, Paris is quite large. I have not ventured the entire area yet. But soon."

"Good. I knew I could rely on you, Reverend. Okay, you are dismissed." He waves him off. Gabriel bows low before exiting.

Outside, the crickets chirped as the fireflies danced around the flames of each torch that hung on the palace courtyard.

The squires were at the stables, silently polishing the armour and cleaning horseshoes. The events of today still hung onto the boys, still pulling their spirits down.

The knights have ordered all the squires not to talk to Adrien as a way of punishing him for speaking against the Reverend. Luckily for him, it was a minor punishment and he still got to keep his job. The squires understood the strange favouritism towards Adrien. After all, he was the most handsome kid in the palace. Adrien would probably have to thank the princess for this one.

The squires did not even talk to one another. They, too were punished for not holding their fellow squire back and they did not want to cause any more trouble. Because if any of them were to be replaced, it would take a second's worth of a procedure to do so. They were all fairly angry at Adrien because he was irreplaceable. He did not have to suffer in the same way as they'd have to.

Adrien did not mind this since he was too busy worrying about Ladybug to even think of them. How often did she have to face danger without him?

He could save up for a messenger bird. But maybe that wasn't the most practical idea. It could even cost him his identity.

From the dimly lit portion of the courtyard, someone exits the palace's back door.

Every boy froze at the sight of him. They all quickly looked down the minute they saw Reverend Gabriel approach the stables.

Adrien's head hung the lowest of them all. He was bracing himself for a beating.

"Reverend." The boys murmur greetings of respect to the man.

The Reverend actually lived in the Notre Dame Cathedral. He only went to visit to either report to the King or to lecture the boys twice a week. If there were any other reasons, then those reasons just exist.

The Reverend gestures for them to raise their heads. They do so obediently. But Adrien kept his head down, facing the ground in shame.

"I want to have a word with you, Adrien." He says. His voice oddly calm, unlike the tone he had used earlier towards the people. "Let's discuss things over at the common room."

The common room was only to be used for guests and of course, the royals. He was a bit more than surprised to have realised the location of their meeting place.

Adrien obediently stands up. He could feel the secret glares of each boy from his back, burning holes through his head. He brushes them off quickly.

They were never truly his friends from the start anyways.

The two walk inside the castle and into the said room. Inside, Adrien gapes at how large it was. The place was well carpeted and curtained with only the finest textiles known to man. Even at a certain distance, you could see the embroidered gold and silver designs that lined the patterns and the prints. Each corner was lit with a calming fire, flickering over brass bowls and the furniture was a plush bright red with a mahogany finish.

Chat Noir would never be able to fit these things out the windows unnoticed.

Gabriel sits on one of the chairs. Adrien on the other hand knows his status and remains standing.

To Gabriel's surprise, Adrien turns his back and juts out his butt.

"What are you trying to do?" Gabriel asks him, confused and slightly offended by this gesture.

"Are you not going to beat me for my misbehaviour, Reverend?" Adrien's voice was small. Gabriel's eyes widen in surprise.

He had almost forgotten that Adrien was a measly peasant boy with barely anything to his name but a knight to serve. This was something he was used to.

"Ah- no.." Gabriel replies, suddenly guilty for asking for a private audience with Adrien. "I want to discuss your actions earlier."

Adrien remains silent, reluctantly waiting for Gabriel's opinion on the matter.

"You acted against my orders." Gabriel says. "Remember our talk at the library? I just want you to understand that the actions I have displayed were done for the good of God's name. I saw out there that I have upset you and I want to apologise for raising my voice at you."

Adrien was shocked.

The Archdeacon of Paris was apologising to a peasant boy.

"Reverend, I do not feel negative towards how to treated me. I am no one to you." Adrien says firmly, trying hard not to break away from his bravery streak. He held his head a little higher. "But the way you have treated those people has caused them and me great sadness. I wish nothing more but for the security they need. It was an unnecessary call for you to take away most of their resources, since they have close to none at all."

Gabriel was expecting this. Adrien had looked up to those who lived noble lives, serving justice to those who needed it. Heroes like Joan of Arc have gotten Adrien interested in the art of chivalry and knighthood mainly because they lived simple lives while bringing those together with kindness and bravery.

 _How adorable_.

"You have a big heart for someone rather young and short. But don't you see? If you continue to tolerate these people, they will abuse our powers. Whatever this Ladybug is fighting for is not going to change anything. It's not going to prove anything."

"You're wrong, Reverend." Adrien says. He was now definitely afraid he had just answered back at the archdeacon. But he continued on. "You are abusing your authority and tolerating them as the monarchy takes away the poor's rights! You don't have to steal from them just to please the King!l

Adrien turns his back on Gabriel, getting ready to leave.

"Reverend, I thought you were better than this." Adrien says. "I'm sorry but I'd like to retire to bed now, excuse me." Finally, he runs out the room.

Gabriel felt a bit of his chest splinter. His brows furrow in frustration. He didn't want to lose Adrien over any of this.

Gabriel sits alone. He forgets the tea before him and downs the cold liquid before getting up to leave for home.

* * *

 _This chapter was mostly Adrien. I love him and he's probably my favourite character in the show. I mean, who doesn't like cinnamon rolls like him? Btw, the book that I have quoted is The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. (I read this book over the summer haha). Anyways, thanks for reading!_


	4. The Woman

"I've had it, Tikki!" Marinette groans in defeat, dark circles forming under her eyes. She had barely slept a wink last night because of that god-awful book. Sprawled across from her was Tikki, her blue eyed cat, who blinked quietly back at Marinette. Cats did not care much about trigonometry or impressing boys, but Marinette still considered the kitten as a good companion.

Marinette had only gone through the very first lesson: Periodicity of Trigonometric Functions. But still, the book's lessons were foreign and plain gibberish to her. She began to worry about disappointing Adrien. That was all that mattered, anyway.

Today, she was tasked to deliver milk to the satin merchant and unleavened bread to the cathedral, which meant a half chance to see Reverend Gabriel up close. She's seen him as Ladybug before, but walking past him without the mask would be an interesting observation. He's a smart man, after all.

Marinette skims over the pages again, her facial expressions wilting more and more from the stress.

"What is that?" Someone gasps, yanking the book out of her hands. It was Alya, the shepherd's daughter. She and Marinette have been best friends since Marinette first delivered milk to their house.

It was hard to read the look on Alya's face. A mix of astonishment and intrigue perhaps.

"Hey!" Marinette says, pushing Alya down. "You're going to attract attention!"

"Sorry." She says, her eyes still glued to the curves and form of the book. "I've never seen these things up close before. You do know they're prohibited to us girls?"

"Of course I know that," Marinette gets the book back, sealing it away in her bag. "But Adrien gave me the book! He wanted me to read it."

"So you're basically just reading this for him to like you." Alya laughs. "And you can understand what's inside?"

"Okaaay, maybe not this specific book, but my father taught me how to read. He says that women are the very first teachers. Being so, we should be good examples to our children." Marinette says, pride shining through her. "Reading may be taboo, but one day, that's all going to change."

"Yeah sure, right after the first reading woman gets caught and burned at the stake." Alya laughs. Marinette does not. "Oh, lighten up! I'm kidding." She punches Marinette's arm playfully. "Just don't get caught in the open. You know how these people are."

Alya was right, though. Change wouldn't exactly start without a conflict. But would Marinette have to sacrifice herself for reading to be legalised for women? She shakes out of the awful thought. Hopefully not.

"Oh by the way, did you hear about those bandits who caused trouble for the Archdeacon yesterday?" Alya asks casually. The hairs on Marinette's neck stood instantly at the mention of Ladybug. News of their antics started out small; with them offering scraps to the poor, then stealing small portions of gold and now this.

Alya wasn't aware of it yet, but she has a highly wanted criminal for a best friend.

"R-Really?" Marinette tries to hide the quake in her voice. "What happened?"

"It was in the slums. After he took back all the gold they've been hiding, one of the bandits threatened Reverend Gabriel."

So she knows that much.

"Heard it in the town square just this morning." Alya adds, then puts a hand on Marinette's shoulder. "So stay out of any danger. Wouldn't want you to come across any bandits on your way to town."

"Sure, Alya." Marinette says. "But.. wouldn't you think that these bandits might be helping the poor? They probably want to just.. I don't know, tear down the injustices of our kingdom?"

Alya bursts out laughing. "Did you get all those ideas from reading that book?"

Marinette chuckled along, making the right decision to stop talking about it. "Probably." She says through a forced smile. "Which reminds me, I have some things to do today. I'll see you later!"

She shakes away from the pressure, trying to worry less about what the future could hold for her.

So she starts her morning. Right after picking up the milk and bread at the shop, she heads off.

Marinette knew multiple shortcuts that would make her job much faster, but knowing her parents, they wouldn't let her pass through dark alleyways while handling special deliveries. The long way would take more time, but that also meant more time for her to go over points from the book.

"F of x plus P is equal to F of x such that F is a trigonometric function." That was one rule out of a million in that book alone.

And the only thing she was able to pick up, unfortunately.

Maybe she should just leave the book on top of the tree branches and never show her face again. Or ask someone else to give the book back?

She couldn't possibly think of admitting defeat in front of Adrien! Surely, he was the type to take an interest in intellectual people. Marinette, of course just wanted to become a tentative option.

"F of x plus P is equal to F of x such that F is a..." She trails off, sighing. "What am I even saying..?" Now, she had made it into the town square. The ordinary bustle was back. An assortment of citizens were scattered across the street; the rich held folds of thick satin and gold while the poor held onto each other. A common site, especially for the locals of this area. The puppeteers would sit behind dolls, narrating tales to the children and passersby; the vendors would cry out to potential buyers and the merchants would shower curses at their errand boys.

Marinette wouldn't exactly call the ambience comforting, but it was indeed home.

All of a sudden, she stops on her tracks. She was hearing something different today. It was an irregular mix to what she's used to.

It sounded like music. A tune and noise she had never heard of before.

When she turns her head, she sees the source.

On the edge of the town square's fountain stood a young man holding a tiny lute shaped instrument pressed firmly underneath his chin. He had some sort of rod being tugged and pulled back against the instrument, its contracting movements being the cause of its sound.

People began to gather around the boy; their reactions seem to match Marinette's. Most of them have never seen such an instrument before.

"The boy's from Italy. Came here on foot." Marinette jumps at the abrupt hissing. She turns to find a cloaked old lady who flashes a partially toothless grin at her.

"What is he holding?" Marinette asks curiously.

"Not sure. But it's popular in their kingdom. Heard he used to play for their king." She replies in a low voice. Marinette nods to this new fact. She looks back at the boy again. It was easy to read the passion on his face, seeing that his eyes were closed and he seemed to feel isolated from the audience.

"He must have been well loved, then." Marinette sighs.

Suddenly, she remembers a very important task at hand. Her eyes dart down at the milk and bread.

But finds it no longer there.

"Hey, stop!" She gasps, looking back up to see that the woman had now gone off, cackling as she disappeared into the crowd.

* * *

Further away, the squire boys were attending to their lessons with one of the abbey mothers. Adrien sat at the front, his elbow resting on top of his desk as he stared out the window, close to drooling on his piece of parchment.

" _And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria._ " Abbess Nathalie paced back and forth across the room, reading out loud to young boys who were half asleep.

" _Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison._ "

It wasn't easy paying attention to this lecture. One being the fact that Adrien preferred astronomy or physics and two being the fact that he had barely slept last night.

His entire brain was still flooded with over a million thoughts, including the events of yesterday afternoon. All night, he worried about Ladybug and of all the possibilities of being under Reverend Gabriel's leadership.

Other than that, he felt betrayed by the man.

All his life, he's looked up to him and even felt like he really had that special connection with him.

But he thought wrong. Now, he has to watch his every move. If anything goes wrong again, he'll have to be there to put a stop to it.

It was only a few days ago when Ladybug and Chat Noir were doing their jobs undetected. Now they're one of the most wanted people in all of France.

A wooded stick comes swinging down into one of the boys' desks, bringing Adrien back from his deep thinking. He sees the Abbess towering over a boy who had been sketching this entire time.

"Nathaniel, read the next verse." She says, waiting for him as he scrambles around to find his Bible.

Sighing, she hands him hers. "Not only should you be educated but also prepared. You're a squire boy after all."

"Y-Yes, Abbess Nathalie." He looks down at the Bible and continues to read the next verse.

"Louder."

All of a sudden, the sound of the gates make Adrien's eyes dart out of the window.

Reverend Gabriel was being escorted on to his horse. He speaks a few words to the castle servant who mumbled a response, bowing as she extends something to him.

It was a black hood.

He looks around for something that could help him at this moment. Quickly, he grabs the ink pot to his right. For a small moment, he hesitates with his next move.

But he knew he had to get things going.

So without another thought, he slams the glass pot on the table, causing it to shatter beneath his hand.

This captures the attention of everyone in the room, waking up all of the drowsy boys. Adrien lifts his hand, hissing out in pain as they class eyes the mess of ink and blood dripping all over his clothes and onto the wooden desk.

"Abbess, I'm going to get this treated!" Adrien says, running out of the room before Abbess Nathalie could say anything else.

He heads straight for the stables, grabbing whatever he needed before following the reverend.

Including his black mask.

* * *

"This is a disaster! A disaster!" Marinette kept repeating to herself, her head in her hands as she tried to composing herself. What she did not notice was the boy sitting next to her, staring in confusion as she went on worrying.

"You've been at that for quite some time now." He says, slightly amused.

Marinette's head shoots up at the owner of the voice.

"Hello." He says, smiling at her. He had rather striking blue eyes. "You look like you need some help."

Marinette felt her cheeks go red suddenly.

"K-Kind of." Marinette looks at the ground shyly. "I'm thinking of running away from home."

"Oh? Why?"

"Because I failed to do a simple task and I don't think I want to show my face to my mother ever again."

And then, the boy laughs.

Marinette looks at him.

 _Oh wow, he's cute._

"W-What?" Marinette asks.

"Sorry. It just sounds like something I used to do." He smiles at her. "I've never had a permanent home. Running away was all I did."

"Really? Don't you have a family?" Marinette asks, automatically regretting it. She didn't want to offend him.

"Probably." The boy says, his eyes look to the sky. "I've travelled so much that I've practically forgotten who I am. But my name's Luka. What's yours?"

"What, mine?" She whited out for a split second before processing the sudden question. "It's uh- um- Marinette!" She mentally smacks her forehead.

Luka lets out a laugh. "Well, Marinette, You're definitely something."

Suddenly, Luka pulls something out of his bag. It was his instrument.

"Listen to this." He says, positioning the instrument under his chin. "I can't fix your problem, but maybe this can help you forget it for a while."

Marinette's eyes marvel at the strange machine. She's never seen anything like it. It seemed even stranger up close.

"When words fail to express, music does the job for it." Luka whispered into her ear, this special secret.

But his attention goes over to the sound of a horse thundering past the town square.

Reverend Gabriel.

Marinette searches the area for more, scanning around for a certain boy.

And then she sees him.

Jumping from roof to roof was Chat Noir.

"I-I have to go." Marinette quickly gets up, worry washing over her face once again. Only this time, for a different purpose.

"What's wrong?" Luka asks.

"I need to be somewhere." She replies in a low voice, already making her way out of town. But before that, she turns back to him. "Save me a song?"

"I'll be here all day." He grins at her.

* * *

Thankfully, the glass had not caused any amount of damage he was expecting. It was a light gash over his right palm that went from the bottom of his ring finger down to the crook of where he could clench his fist. He'll remind himself to tend to it once he gets back.

The reverend seemed to be going straight into the forest.

Chat Noir found this unusual. No one lived in the forest. Not unless you were hiding and preferred living tax-free. Only the lowest of the low lived in these areas. Surely, he wouldn't be so despicable to begin storming in on these people and taking their properties.

But the reverend went right through the forest. He went over and under roads that seemed less travelled, as piles of leaves and old twigs had gathered thickly on the path that he had taken. Over steep hills and towards more trees.

He was going to the outskirts of the city. But no one lived there. Chat Noir and his partner had done full circles around Paris, and never did they once try going past the dark wood.

This was going to be his first time out on his own. But where could he have gone off to?

Finally, Gabriel makes a stop. Before him is a warm and bright looking cottage full of flowers and a smoking chimney that overlooked a big glass lake. It was a rare sight to see, as homes like this only existed in children's stories.

The reverend gets off his horse, walking over to the front door with his hands in his pocket.

From it, he pulls out what seems to be seeds. Chat sneaks in for a closer look, creeping past and running to the back of the house where he spots a conveniently opened window.

He hears a knock, and Gabriel greets the owner of the house. "I'm sorry." The first thing he says. "I haven't been visiting you very often lately."

"It has been a while.." A woman's voice replies. Bright and clear, quite beautiful sounding. "Have you been busy?"

"With work, yes." The reverend replies in a tone Adrien could only hear in dreams. It was gentle, toned down. "I brought you seeds. These are to grow bluebells. They sell these in the market."

So that's what those were. Chat says to himself.

The two were silent for quite a bit, perhaps the woman was doing something as the reverend took his seat by the fire.

Chat Noir was curious. He slowly peeks from the corner of the window.

The woman was stunningly beautiful. She had the softest golden hair and the most striking green eyes Chat had ever seen. Why would someone like her be living in such a remote area away from civilization? He'd probably be more convinced if she looked like a sorceress, but perhaps he was getting ahead of himself.

The woman was by her oven, cooking what seems to be a fruit pie judging by the strong scent of cinnamon. She turns to Gabriel, eyes somewhat hopeful of something.

"How many years has it been since that day?" She says gently. "When am I going to see him?"

The kind woman had a sort of glimmer in her eye, but her features had been mixed with what seemed to be..

Fear.

"If it's about your child, then I have nothing to tell you." Gabriel said straight away.

A child? Perhaps they had tragically died, and the reverend was only trying to avoid the topic.

"But is he well? How is he growing?"

"We talked about this." Gabriel was now firmer, looking her in the eye. "All this is for your safety, Emilie. Your ties with the child are cut forever." _Emilie_. That's the name of the woman.

And she begins to tear up. Chat could hear the quiver in her gentle voice, now shaken with fear.

She knew better than to provoke this devil. But her heart beat louder than the fear ringing in her ears.

"I need to know about my baby. He's our—!"

" _That's enough!_ " Gabriel booms, landing a fist to a nearby wall, causing the entire house to shake.

Chat Noir held his breath. He couldn't imagine the fear that the woman must be feeling now.

"I'm leaving. I'll be back next month." Gabriel doesn't say another word to the woman, turning his back on her and getting back on his horse to leave for home.

Peeking back through the window, the woman cries. Seeing the sorrow this mother had for her lost child was breaking his heart.

If only he could console her. But the idea of suddenly sneaking up on a woman would not play out well for him.

He decides to return for home too. Crossing over trees, he stops to listen to a certain bird call.

"Ladybug." He calls back, and she jumps forward to him.

Gasping, she pulls him near. "Where did you get this?"

"I had to get myself outta class." Chat shrugs. "They say the bubonic plague comes quicker to those with open wounds, so don't get too close."

Ladybug could only giggle. "Well let's tend to that before you end up being carried off with other corpses."

They fetch water from a flowing river while Chat allows Ladybug to medicate his cut.

"Did I miss anything? I got lost trying to follow the reverend, but I was too far behind." Ladybug asks him.

Chat Noir thinks back to the reverend's detour to the ends of the forest with the little cottage and the beautiful woman.

But perhaps..

"No, not really.." Chat tries not to hesitate. "I didn't see anything. I lost him too."

His masked partner nods, pulling out a fee ointments from her bag. Judging by her technique, she was very good with first aid and knows a handful about herbs. She is either secretly the daughter of a healer, or a baker.

"Ladybug.. can I ask you something?"

"Hm?" She hums, not taking her eyes off of his hand.

"Your mother... what's she like?"

Ladybug's eyes dart up to meet his, a little surprised. "Why this all of a sudden?"

Chat Noir could only shrug. "I just wanna know."

"Well.." she starts. "My mother is simple. She's a hard worker who likes to yell and nag a lot, especially to me. But overall, she loves me a lot.. What about yours?"

Telling the truth to her wouldn't make him less human, wouldn't it?

"I've never met mine." Chat Noir says. "The teachers in my class say some mothers are in heaven watching over us. I guess mine is in heaven too."

"Oh, I'm sorry.." Ladybug ties his bandage, finally letting his hand go. "All patched up."

"Thanks." They both get up.

"Chat.. wherever your mom may be, she will always love you no matter what. Even in death. Okay?" Ladybug kisses his cheek before bidding another farewell to him.

Today was quite uneventful for these masked heroes, but Chat was rather eager to learn more about Emilie.

 _I'm going to help her look for her child._


	5. The Princess

**Chapter 5: The Princess**

Adrien tossed and turned in his sleep, thinking quietly amongst all the sleeping boys inside the dimly lit room. His eyes stared up at the ceiling as he threw his arms behind his head, completely deep in thought.

His mind drifted back to that little cottage; how warm and peaceful it all looked in comparison to the grand palace. It was nothing against the richly decorated fortress of the King, and its immediate access to the city of Paris,

But something about the meadows, the warm fireplace, and the glowing aura of that woman brought an ache in Adrien's heart. He was not sure if he was in the right place to feel frustrated or to cry, but his eyes began to blur in vision as he felt the ache worsen.

Quickly, the boy shook the thought away. He did not want such a troubling idea clouding his dreams; it would only make him miserable the morning after.

He decides to try drifting into sleep, thinking hard about the last material he had read before blowing out the dying candles.

* * *

"No... no.. no.." Princess Chloe's room was a downright mess. Every closet had been emptied, and all her dresses are either sprawled on the floor, or scattered on the bed.

"No!" She groans. Every single garment had been strewn across all the corners of her bed chamber, making a rather appalling catastrophe.

And finally, "Yes!" She screams, yanking out a piece of cloth from her wooden chest. The princess shakes off the clinging dust before trying the garment on in front of her mirror.

A thick, darkly colored cloak.

She had seen Adrien do it multiple times; sneaking out into the city whenever he was off-duty. Leaving at dawn, and sometimes returning by twilight, always whenever broad daylight were never around.

But the princess would sometimes spot him escape by climbing the castle walls.

How his wild and adventurous spirit would rouse her heart! Never has she seen such a dashing and daring boy such as he.. Perhaps the palace had become a bore to Adrien, thus explaining why he had the urge to escape now and then, probably to have more fun.

 _Or something other than fun, maybe._ Princess Chloe thought to herself, recalling the last night they had spoken to one another.

 _Love_. He had asked her to repeat that one silent evening. _And what about love? Was love making him jump the dangerous moat, and making him sneak in past the guards like a little bandit?_ The girl could not help but scowl at the thought of this.

But then again, Adrien already had the best of the best inside these walls! After all, what could be better than a princess?

Chloe felt the need to get to the bottom of this. She knew to herself that she was an intelligent girl, given the inborn privileges and many accessible resources. She had studied Adrien long enough to notice the suspicious moves he was making yet again.

He was readying himself for another escape into the city.

"I"ll be coming for you." Chloe muttered to herself, eyeing her Adrien from her tower as he tidied the stables and grabbed his sack. "My love."

* * *

He had agreed to meet Nino, his best friend, this morning for a round of target practice in the fields. Perhaps Marinette would be out at the same time, too, since it was a sunny weekday. Surely she would be making preparations for more deliveries.

For he was indeed, excited to know about her thoughts on Arithmetic theories.

After he does his duties, he grabs his satchel and makes his way out through the castle gates, telling the guards that he will be running a few errands. The guards nod him off, and he heads into the city.

Truthfully, he considers purchasing a messenger bird somewhere in town. Adrien thinks it could be a helpful tool for missions with Ladybug. Being from the palace, he carried more information about the King and Reverend Gabriel's plans, and messages like this would reach her much faster.

Adrien enters the bustle of the town square and comes across a man with a stall full of caged birds of all sorts. Some were canaries, or colorful finches, not exactly what he was looking for.

"Monsieur, do you sell messenger birds?" Adrien comes up to him. The older man stares down at him, scowling a bit, to find a child asking about messenger birds like he would actually purchase one instead of steal like all the other slum punks.

"It is for my knight. I work at the palace." Adrien adds, hopefully getting into the man's good graces.

He rolls his sunken eyes. "The hawks don't come in until two weeks. From Germany."

"How much?" Adrien asks.

"700 francs."

"Ah.. I'll just shoot one down." Adrien bows, smile faltering a little, walking back on his old track. "Thank you, monsieur!"

The merchant grunts, getting back to work.

Adrien makes his way to the other edge of town, pulling out his bow and arrow. From a distance, he spots Nino. "Hey!" The blonde boy calls out to his friend.

Nino and Adrien meet halfway in the middle, and Nino instantly gushes over the weapon in Adrien's hands. "It's genuine from the king's army!"

They end their long walk in the middle of the huge field where the cattle grazed.

"The bow's more beaten down than the weapons in current use. King Andrei enjoys looking at a shiny war force." Adrien explains, pulling out an arrow and positioning himself to aim at one tree. "I'll bet you five francs that I can land one on that trunk."

"Too easy!" Nino exclaims. "Ten francs if you hit the fruit!"

Adrien furrows his brows, centering his focus on one apple at the distance. Its shiny, red surface, almost begging to be shot down.

Swiftly, the boy lets go, and the arrow zooms its way across the field,

Impaling a branch.

"Ah, well." Nino shrugs, running over to pull out the arrow. "At least you didn't hit a cow. Not bad for a squire."

Adrien chuckled, passing Nino the bow. "I'll keep practicing." He says.

From afar, Adrien spots a pair of blue eyes staring back at him from the herd of cattle.

"Marinette!" He yells, causing a few birds to fly off from the apple tree. Marinette's head shoots down, but she still manages a small wave at him before Adrien and Nino could make it across.

"I knew you'd be around today." The blonde boy beams, causing a light flush of red to rise up in Marinette's cheeks. "Did you read the book?"

"Ah-uh.. yes!" She squawks, trying to maintain less of a quiver. "But I didn't get to read everything—"

"Adrien!"

Adrien's head swiftly turns at the sound of someone else's voice. This voice was far too shrill and high-pitched to be Nino's. It could only belong to one person.

 _No. No, no, no..._ Adrien thought to himself, his heart dropping to his stomach.

The figure marching over at him was none other than Princess Chloe. He was not sure if she would have noticed, but the blood drained instantly out of Adrien's face the minute she came into view.

She did not look one bit happy. In fact, the scowl on her face was evident enough to be seen from the back of her head. She was furious.

"Y-Your Highness!" Adrien drops to a low bow. In all honesty, he did not know why she seemed angry. Was it because she caught him escaping the palace? Or perhaps she had been looking for him and he was nowhere to be found?

Marinette on the other hand, knew exactly who this girl was. She thought back to the time when she and Chat Noir had robbed King Andrei's carriage, and that was when she had first laid her eyes on the Princess.

Up close, Chloe had shiny blonde hair and sported much nicer clothes than she did. If she smiled a little, then perhaps she could be considered pretty.

But Marinette also knew that Chloe lived with Adrien. The word _pretty_ , now somehow lost its meaning.

"What are you doing here, my Adrien?" The princess said through her teeth, clearly seething with anger. "I had been looking everywhere for you!" She glanced back at Marinette, scowling at her old garments and the steel bucket she had beneath her.

She could _not_ believe an _utter-squeezing peasant_ was stealing Adrien away from her!

"I was just going out for some fresh air, and target practice." He explains, still visibly confused as to why she seemed upset. "Is something the matter, Your Highness?"

"Ah, no, not at all, _Mon Chér_!" Chloe grabs his wrist, pulling him closer to her. "I just do not like how you were going out of the palace without letting me know."

"Oh.." Adrien seemed uncomfortable now, and a bit embarrassed that the princess was clinging onto him right in front of his two friends. "And how did you get out of the castle unnoticed—?"

"Oh, it was an easy trick, my dear! Like how you often escape past the guards during inappropriate sleeping hours." Chloe put a hand on his face, caressing him. The boy did not have much choice, since she was the King's daughter. He'd rather endure this way than have his head on a plate.

Adrien could also sense that she must have bribed one of the guards at one desperate point. Only someone as nimble and quick-thinking could use the same methods as Adrien to escape.

"Uh, princess, these are my friends, Nino and Marinette." Adrien says, prying gently away from Chloe's grasp. "Guys, the princess."

They both make a respectful gesture by bowing down before her. Chloe does not think twice to push Nino away and to get a good look at the other girl.

" _This_ one is funny looking." Chloe says in a slightly disgusted tone, using one finger to yank the girl's chin up. She had shiny, dark hair, and bluebell eyes. A rarity in Paris, honestly. The girl seems to either be a descendant from a different country, or a complete foreigner.

She was beautiful, but Princess Chloe would never say that out loud.

And perhaps this was the girl Adrien must be thinking of.

 _Love_.

He was in love with... _this?_ Her scowl was returning.

"You speak the native tongue?" Chloe looks down on her.

Marinette uses a hand to gently push down Chloe's pointing ones. The princess could only raise an eyebrow at the sudden gesture.

"I was born here." Marinette tried not to seem offended. "Your Highness."

"Oh goodie! You would make good decoration in the palace—!"

"Chloe." Adrien warns in a low voice. Marinette seemed taken aback by the princess's words, and Adrien felt sorry for her, but Chloe continued on. She stared down at the bucket of milk.

"And I see you enjoy taking your sweet time out on the field." Chloe goes around Marinette, tugging at her dress and pulling her hair. Adrien was practically clenching his fists. "Do you find _my_ Adrien handsome?"

Marinette goes red. Well, who doesn't? He was beautiful. The raven-haired girl took one good look at him, and Chloe knew her answer.

"It's a shame Adrien was raised to know real standards." Chloe raises a brow, visibly unhappy.

This time, Marinette shoots back. "Then it's a shame he won't be choosing you." Adrien's eyes go wide in surprise.

Chloe, obviously outraged by the comeback, still holds together a composed face. "You're really something, huh?" She comes closer to her and grabs a hold of the girl's bucket.

"Chloe, stop." Adrien calls for her again, but her own anger was practically deafening the princess, and blocking the rest of the world out.

"Please.. let go of that." Marinette said with a straight face, trying hard not to yell or scream at the royal pain.

The Princess took one look at the peasant girl before spilling the bucket's contents all over the ground.

Marinette's morning earnings, gone just like that.

The milkmaid could only stare, but Adrien saw the glisten in her eyes and the frustration she tried to hold back.

Her mother was going to yell at her once she comes home with an empty bucket.

Chloe hands her back the weightless container and Marinette takes it with shaking hands.

Adrien felt terrible for just standing there.

"Princess, that's enough." Adrien tugs on Chloe, showing her his disappointment.

Chloe smiled sweetly at him. "But I'm not finished, my—!"

"Chloe." He raised his voice, and that was enough to shut her up. He takes a breath before speaking again, his words going through clenched teeth. "Let's go back. To the palace. Now."

Marinette was silent, too. She had never seen him angry before. Sure, mild frustration,

Not anger. It did not seem natural on a living, breathing ray of sunshine.

And for the princess to be silenced, it seemed even more surreal.

"Adrien?" Chloe whimpered. "Are you angry at me?"

The blonde boy sighs, placing a hand on her shoulder. Marinette could not help but feel herself go green with jealousy.

"Look.. you never should have gone out. I'm taking you back." He says, and bids a farewell to Nino and Marinette.

"Adrien, wait!" Marinette calls out to him, running over to hand him something. "Y-Your book."

Adrien gives her a small smile. "Glad you liked it—"

"Let's go, _Mamour!_ " Chloe pulls him away without another glance, and they walk back to the palace.

* * *

Unknowingly, Adrien and Chloe encounter a rather chaotic scene at the palace; for one of the servants had discovered the princess's whirlwind of a bed chamber, and the terrible revelation of her sudden disappearance.

"I'm not explaining this mess for you." Adrien made no efforts of holding back his disappointment in her. "You escaped on your own, you misbehaved in front of my friends, and now word is about to spread, about you going missing."

" _Friends?_ " Chloe gasps, practically ignoring the two other points he had made. "But I'm you're only friend! Those kids don't know a real thing or two about class, like you and I."

But the boy did not have time for messing around. His patience has been tested, and he was not feeling quite well.

They finally make their way towards the gates and Adrien makes Chloe unveil her cloak.

"The Princess is here!" One of the guards from the tower yell, and they open the gates.

King Andrei himself was at the very entrance, yelling at the captain of the guards for allowing a young girl to slip from their grasps. Alongside him was Reverend Gabriel, who had made immediate eye contact with Adrien the minute he came into view.

"Sire, the Princess is back with one of the squire boys." The guard accompanying them drags Adrien by the collar towards the King.

The boy's eyes stared on the ground, shaking a little with fear. Hearing familiar footsteps, he recognizes the movements of his knight.

"Eyes on me." The knight demanded in a low voice. Adrien raises his chin a bit more, forcing himself to stare back.

And quickly as it went, the knight's hand came down hard on Adrien's left cheek. The impact was so great, the boy had to kneel down.

"Stop! No!" Chloe screams, bending down by Adrien, weeping as she held him close. "He didn't do anything wrong.. He was protecting me all the way!"

King Andrei puts a hand in between Adrien and his knight. "What was he doing outside?" The King asks Enoch, Adrien's master.

Squires were not allowed to leave their master's side. Especially for long periods of time. This news, of course, angered Enoch.

"Well, boy?!" The Knight, Enoch, grunts at Adrien.

His head stayed lowered. "I went out to... to—"

"Follow me! To guard me as I went to the village, because I was being persistent with him." Chloe cuts him off, looking straight at Enoch, her eyes burning with rage.

He had laid a hand on Adrien's precious face. _This_ did not impress the princess one bit.

"Insolent fools who take action before properly thinking about it deserve to be severely punished! Don't you agree, father?" The Princess's blue eyes twinkle like shards of evil ice, cracking into fragile, freezing water. King Andrei was a father who had vowed happiness onto his child. Now, he began to fear whatever wish Chloe had prepared for Enoch.

"What do you suppose we do, my sweet?" The King asks her, quite the stubborn mule around the poor working class, but fearsome of his own little brat.

"I'm a merciful lady, father. Don't directly assume that I would ever consider an execution!"

The King's eyes go wide at the words of the Princess. By heavens, have mercy!

But this time, Reverend Gabriel steps up.

"Child." He calls Chloe's attention, placing a hand on her shoulder.

The Princess did not like Reverend Gabriel one bit. He appeared to her as some sort of phantom that loomed the castle like a deathly corpse. He had this sort of signature grimace that sent chills down her spine in the worst way possible.

Chloe did not think twice to step out of his way.

"Allow me to prepare his consequence." Gabriel says.

Chloe, convinced that nothing could be more torturous than being around the terrifying cathedral hermit, says "By all means."

Adrien could not look Enoch in the eye. He worried about what punishment Reverend Gabriel could prepare for him. He felt an incredible guilt for his master, who has caught the blame that had been Adrien's responsibility, first hand.

He did not mean this at all. He did not intend for all this to happen, for all he had thought today was, was just a mere morning of wandering into the fields and taking in the fresh sunshine, while enjoying a spare moment to himself.

Suddenly, when he thought things could not get any worse,

"I want my own lady in waiting, father." Chloe says, turning to her father's now confused face. "Adrien and I have found one in the village."

 _What?_ It was Adrien's turn to be confused. His eyes widen in shock.

"I want her to be sent here as soon as possible!" Chloe demanded.

 _No!_ Adrien thought to himself.

" _Marinette?_ " Adrien grunted through the pain.

"Yes!" Chloe says, her mischievous smile returning. "Thankfully, Adrien had been there for me. Without him, I might have been robbed by bandits, or kidnapped!"

"Wait, Princess." Adrien whispered at Chloe. "What's this about Marinette—?"

"Everything will be fine, Mon Chér!" Chloe giggled before sending him off to the infirmary. The blonde girl looks at her father. "The girl is around my age. She has hair like midnight and blue eyes, and lives in the peasants' village past the field. Find her and have her sent here!"

If only Adrien had the strength and power to stop this, he could have. He wouldn't let Marinette be dragged to this god-awful place, far away from the big, green fields, and away from her own family.

She'd be forced to serve Chloe, and surely, nothing good would come out of all her devious acts. Adrien wanted so badly to protect her from that.

Like how Chat Noir protected the poor.

 _Wait._

Adrien had one more chance of escaping amongst all the chaos that had ensued.

It was there where Adrien began to tug at the inner pit of his heart. The urge to do this one very important mission before it was all too late to turn back.

He goes inside the castle halls, slipping past the infirmary, and suddenly, his heart began to beat outside of his chest.

Everything he needed was already inside the bag he held close to him. Just one more turn of a hall, one push of a brick, a leap over the moat, and he'd be out once more.

Adrien runs faster.

* * *

Marinette had feared for herself by the time she had arrived back home with the empty bucket. Autumn was fast approaching, and the last remaining cows have stopped lactating.

There would be no milk until next spring, and the final bucket she had attempted to fill had been spilled on the grass in a mere five seconds.

But Marinette's parents were forgiving of her, and they surely understood her frustration over the matter. Marinette decided that bringing the Princess into her explanation would not be of much help. She had no one to blame, but her lacking sense of responsibility.

The rest of the night, she stayed inside her room alone, glancing out into the evening field as she continued sewing her dress.

Constantly, the girl worried about Adrien. She just simply could not believe that he would have to endure an insane person such as the Princess! The poor thing must be so fed up from it all, he'd have the urge to escape and be by himself on the field they shared on sunny mornings.

He was brave enough to stand up for her, no doubt. Marinette blushed, yet again. Could it be that he finally felt the same way she did? That perhaps he saw past her shortcomings as an ordinary peasant girl, with nothing but a steel bucket of milk, and little knowledge on books?

 _But surely, he would not love a bandit._ Marinette did not mean to bring herself down, but she could not help but feel so. She was, after all, a highly wanted criminal. And how was she going to profess to him before their wedding day?

 _No_ , she shook her head, for she didn't mean to think so far off. But deep inside, she hoped for it to happen eventually.

"Good evening!" Marinette yelps at the sound of a very familiar voice. She turns around quickly to find them, but she sees nothing but the dimly lit room and her pile of clothes.

"Shh!" Someone grabs at her and claps a hand over her mouth. "You'll draw too much attention."

Marinette tried muffling out a few words, but to no avail. Finally, the mysterious figure reveals themselves. And of course, her intuition was strong.

Chat Noir.

"Please don't be afraid of me, I'm not going to hurt you." He promised her, his eyes locking, but voice low. "But.. would you please come with me? I can explain it on the way, we just have to get out as quickly as possible."

Marinette was not sure about what was going on, but she knew her partner had good intentions. She gives him a solid nod before he lets go of her.

Springing into action, the masked boy eyes her bag in the corner, and grabs at it, stuffing inside whatever seemed important.

Marinette wasn't catching on very quickly, but it seemed to involve running away. "What are you—?"

"Do you need this?" Chat points at a few garments. Marinette blocks his hand and picks up the clothes herself.

"This is all I'm going to need." She says, folding them up inside her bag.

Including her mask and cloak which she kept underneath it all.

"Let's go." Chat says, readying his stance outside the window as he extends an arm out to her. "We don't have much time left."

Marinette thought for a split second about all this. Was this going to be the last time she would ever see her family?

She shook her head.

Looking back at Chat Noir, the girl tries remembering herself, and who she really was.

Ladybug, a runaway bandit. And bandits like her have nothing else to lose.

"Let's go."

* * *

Chat Noir was a rather impressed that an innocent girl like Marinette would be willing to run away from home with a figure in black, and follow him into the dark woods without any hesitation.

He was expecting her to resist a bit, or to show a few signs of fear, but she didn't. Thanks to that, they were able to leave before anyone could even find Marinette's house.

"Are you always this fearless of strangers? You don't seem to be the type." Chat Noir could not help but chuckle.

"So.. you want me to be afraid of you?" Marinette asks, almost teasing.

"No." He seemed surprised, deciding to stop. The only light that guided them was the crescent moon overhead. "But when a mysterious person behind a mask comes to your room and tells you to follow them, how often do you say yes?"

Maybe it would have been a tad bit more convenient if Marinette had shown the _least_ bit of fear. This suspicious little bandit was almost a little too observant.

"Women's intuition, perhaps." Marinette shrugs. "Also, you let me pack a little of my things. I appreciate a considerate captor."

They continue their walk. The sound of their footsteps grazing the tall grass, accompanied by the shifting of the trees from the cold winds was almost calming.

Chat Noir felt secure enough to know that this location was far enough for them to finally let loose.

"Can you at least explain to me what you just did?" Marinette asks him. "Monsieur.. Black cat?"

"Don't worry about your parents, I had left them a generous amount of money that shall cover a week's worth or two of your earnings, and I let them know of your whereabouts." He says. "I'm only taking you somewhere safer, so that no one can get to you. Somewhere far."

"..Why?"

"Let's just say... I rescued you from the royal guard." He kept his eyes forward as they trekked on. "They're looking for a new servant. It just so happens that the Princess wants another pet, and has set her eyes on you."

Finally, he looks back at Marinette, eyes smouldering as he smirked. "And I won't allow that."

Marinette recognized this flirtatious spirit of his, so flashy and alluring.

But maybe to other girls. She found this side of Chat Noir rather annoying.

"Let's keep walking." She couldn't help but shove him forward. She did not want him to confuse her flush of embarrassment as that meant for flattery. "Where exactly do you plan on bringing me?"

Honestly, he was not so sure, himself. Initially, leaving her to camp in a more isolated part of the woods seemed to be his best option.

But he had another idea. Something a bit more humane.

"There's a cottage at the end of this forest. It's going to take a while to reach, but a woman lives there all by herself." The masked boy replied. "Hopefully, she'll take you in. I heard she's missing a child."

"Well, it's not like she'd assume right away that I was the missing kid—"

"I _know_ , of course." Chat rolls his eyes. "I mean you could make good company. You seem like a nice girl."

"Oh, is that so?" Marinette smirked. "What if I'm actually secretly a criminal undercover and you're completely looking past that?"

She dared to ask it. In a way, she wished she didn't have to hit the joke too close to home.

"Nah." Chat Noir laughs. "I've met a few of the greatest bandits. One in particular, has stolen impressive things."

"Like what? The crown jewels?"

"Something like that.." He shrugged. "And perhaps, I had fallen for that crazy maiden.."

Marinette could not help but feel herself go red again. Not out of embarrassment.. but out of something else she was far too ashamed to claim.

 _He couldn't be thinking about Ladybug._

"I'd love to introduce you to her one of these days. She's one of my dearest friends." He sounded proud. The girl found it in her to smile.

For Chat Noir's friendship was indeed, a rather precious gift.

"That reminds me!" He jolts, surprising Marinette, and even himself. "I forgot to introduce myself. I am Chat Noir, likely one of Paris's most wanted criminals. But don't get put off by the title, surely you've been charmed by me, though just for a short while."

Chat Noir did not think about introducing himself for the first few moments. He completely forgot he wasn't Adrien right now. Marinette, on the other hand, forgot to expect an introduction, for Chat Noir was a very familiar figure in her secret adventurous double-life.

"And I'm Marinette." She says, forgetting to introduce herself, too. She does a little curtsy. "I hope to be better friends with my captor."

"Saviour has a better ring to it, wouldn't you agree?" Chat chuckled. Marinette giggled back.

And they continued the long walk to their destination.

* * *

Three of the royal guards made their way into town, thinking the whole operation was going to be a simple matter of picking up, and dropping off.

Until they realize how wrong they were.

By the time they had reached the peasants' village, they had broken in on homes that were either having their supper, or saying their nightly prayers. All signs pointed to the baker's house at the farthest edge by the hill.

It was a little beaten-down cottage that still had the remaining scent of fresh bread. It was ordinary, and identical to the previous homes, but what contained this house was the one person they sought after.

By the time they had reached the house, they had discovered it empty, with a sign that said the baker and his wife had left town without their daughter, who apparently, is supposed to be at home right now.

The guards barge in upstairs to find the daughter's room cleaned out, with nothing but her old garments and a half-opened window.

They were all momentarily speechless; unsure about what to do now, except report back to the King.

"Wait." One of them stops the team on their tracks. "The princess wants a lady in waiting, then, she'll get one."

The two other guards look at each other, waiting for the next command.

"Recheck all the homes. Find fourteen year old girls, and report back."

"But sir," One of them speaks up. "The Princess particularly requested hair as dark as night. Almost everyone in Paris has light colored hair."

"So, what?" The guard says, mounting his horse. "Boil a few walnut shells, crush a few earthworms. We aren't leaving without a girl."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello! thank you for reading this again! I'm going to attempt to fix whatever flaws I've made with this fic lol. Also try reading my other fic So Close But Still So Far, I'd appreciate it loads! x**


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